Baxter Anderson competing in the Showtime Shootout at the 2019 Tigers Skills Competition (Photo courtesy of Colton McKee)

By Scott Roblin

Skills Competition

Tigers captains select rosters for 2020 Skills Competition

Jan 12, 2020 | 7:00 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Much like NHL executives on the draft floor, four members of the Medicine Hat Tigers put their general manager hats on Sunday.

James Hamblin, Ryan Chyzowski, Bryan Lockner, and Cole Clayton completed their draft for the Tigers’ 2020 A&W Skills Competition, which will be held on Thursday at the Canalta Centre.

Clayton had the first pick in the draft and elected to choose winger Brett Kemp as the first overall pick, looking to benefit from the Yorkton, Saskatchewan product’s 22 goals and 56 points on the season.

Third-year Tiger Baxter Anderson went second overall to Team Lockner, while Chyzowski went with the first of three rookies on his team with young sniper Cole Sillinger.

Hamblin rounded out the first round of picks with defensive newcomer Dylan Plouffe, who sits fifth in team scoring with 31 points in 42 games split between the Tigers and Vancouver Giants.

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Captaining his second straight skills competition team, Hamblin will look to taste victory alongside Plouffe, Danish winger Jonathan Brinkman, linemate Corson Hopwo, rookie defenceman Damon Agyeman and Elijah Brown, though the latter will not be competing due to injury.

Team Chyzowski will feature rookies Sillinger, Caleb Willms and Dru Krebs, while also selecting winger Cyle McNabb and starting goaltender Mads Søgaard.

As for Lockner, he will be joined on the ice Thursday night by Anderson, forwards Lukas Svejkovsky and Noah Danielson, overage defenceman Parker Gavlas, and Garin Bjorklund between the pipes.

Clayton’s club features the highest contingent of defencemen between himself, longtime partner Daniel Baker, Eric Van Impe and rookie Nick Perna, along with Kemp and Nick McCarry at forward.

A full list of competitions has not yet been released, though last year’s event included fastest skater, accuracy shooting, hardest shot, showtime shootout, team relay, elimination shootout, and 3-on-3 game.

Doors open for the A&W Skills Competition at 6:00 on Thursday with the festivities getting underway at 7:00 pm, while spectators are encouraged to donate to the local chapter of the MS Society of Canada at the door.